Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made to date in the determination of application for naturalisation in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50816/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that an application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy in September, 2008.

The application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and is at an advanced stage. Further information was requested from the person concerned in a letter issued on 4 July 2012. Once the requested information has been received and assessed the case will be finalised and submitted to me for decision.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.